FORTY years ago Margaret Dodd was one of the first people to attend her new library. Now, more than 3,000 visits later, she has been hailed its number one customer.

The bookworm, from Brandon, joined the library on the first day it opened, in July 1963.

Since then she has visited Brandon Library at least once a week, borrowing fiction books and using its computers to study for an Open University degree.

As part of the Durham County Council library's 40th anniversary celebrations, she was presented with an honorary copy of The County Durham Book.

Senior library assistant Mary Lax said: "We looked through our records and discovered she had joined the day it opened, as a ten-year-old, and has been a regular borrower ever since.

"Margaret uses all the facilities - the computers and Internet. At the moment she is studying for an Open University degree, so we have been supplying information for that as well."

The keen reader works full-time at Mount Oswald Manor Golf Course, in Durham and is studying for a degree in IT, maths and computers.

Recalling her first visit to the library, she said: "I remember when I arrived, somebody walked straight through the plate glass door and the librarian chased him down the street. He thought he was in trouble and she was just concerned about him.

"Since then I've been every week, sometimes two or three visits."